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October 2023
THIS UPDATE APPLIES TO ALL IBEW 21 AT&T MEMBERS
WORKING IN BOTH THE
AT&T CORE AND
GRACE STREET MOBILITY CONTRACTS.
AT&T Annual Enrollment for 2024 Benefits
The Annual Enrollment period for all IBEW 21 AT&T employees will begin on Monday, October 16, 2024 and will continue through Friday, November 10, 2024. Enrollment content and information is available for review on the AT&T Benefits website.
Your benefit options for 2024 will be similar to 2023 benefits, but include changes negotiated in 2022 and 2023 for the Midwest Core and Yellow agreements respectively.
Medical Benefits
You will keep and use your current ID card, unless you change plans or are a new enrollee.
Monthly Contributions, Deductibles, and Annual Out-of-Pocket Maximums are changing as per the contracts.
Monthly Contributions for Yellow Contract members will change from 4-tier to 2-tier coverage levels (Individual and Family) effective January 2024.
The PPO, HCN, and ONA bargained plans are available as either Option 1 or Option 2, and there is a new Option 3 with lower Monthly Contributions, but higher Deductibles and Coinsurance for 2024.
Option 1, Option 2 and Option 3 are the same AT&T Midwest Medical Program with different cost sharing structures. That means that you will get the same services covered but your Monthly Contributions, Deductibles, Out-of-Pocket Maximums, and Coinsurance amounts will be different for each option.
Option 2 and Option 3 are high deductible health plans (HDHP) and those who enroll in Options 2 and 3 can contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA) via payroll deductions. For new HSAs you must set up your account with Fidelity after completing open enrollment to have funds deducted in January 2024. Keep in mind that if you contribute to an HSA and a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), your FSA will be limited to Dental and Vision expenses.
The maximum annual contributions for HSAs and FSAs are increasing for the 2024 plan year. Details are available in the Annual Enrollment Content on the AT&T Benefits Website.
Deductibles count toward your Out-of-Pocket Maximum, and with Option 2 and 3 plans, the Deductible and the Annual Out-of-Pocket Maximums are integrated with the prescription drug plan.
Everyone must take action and go through the enrollment process to complete a Tobacco User Attestation in order to avoid higher costs. A $75 per person Tobacco User Surcharge will be added to Medical Monthly Contributions, for employees and/or spouses who are tobacco users, beginning in January 2024.
The Tobacco User Attestation and the Tobacco Use Surcharge apply to both the employee and their covered spouse. If you and/or your spouse are tobacco users, as defined by the plan, you must complete the company designated Tobacco Cessation Program, offered by Pelago Health, before the end of 2023, to avoid the $75 monthly Tobacco User Surcharge in January 2024.
If you do not complete the Tobacco User Attestation, your status will default to Tobacco User and the surcharges will apply.
The Tobacco User Attestation will also be used to determine Smoker status and rates on the Supplemental Life Insurance and Critical Illness Insurance benefits. The higher smoker rates will continue to apply through the plan year if you attest to being a Tobacco User, regardless of completion of the Tobacco Cessation Program. If you remain a non-tobacco user after completing the Tobacco Cessation Program, then you can change your attestation for future years and get the lower non-smoker rates.
The Fertility Services benefit, which includes fertility treatments and medications, will also be available to Yellow contract members effective 01/01/2024 and is administered by Progeny, Inc. See AE Content for details.
Medical plans available to you can change based on your zip code, because doctors and facilities may not renew their contracts with BCBS. So, check and confirm that the plan you are currently enrolled in is still available for 2024.
If your current plan is not offered in 2024, you will automatically be enrolled in the lowest-cost self-insured option available to you unless you actively enroll. This means that you will likely be enrolled in an Option 3 High Deductible Plan unless you take action during the Annual Enrollment Period.
Prescription Drug Copayments are also changing for 2024. In order for 2023 Copayments to apply, your prescriptions must be submitted by the Copayment Deadlines. See AE Content.
CarePlus
Effective January 1, 2024, CarePlus will no longer offer their Hearing Aid benefit.
If you are eligible and need a hearing aid, we encourage you to take advantage of this benefit before it is gone. You can continue to use the Medical Program’s hearing aid benefit in the future.
CarePlus monthly contributions will continue at the rate of $1 for Individual and $3 for Family coverage in 2024.
Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
Effective January 1, 2024, the eligibility rules for Dependent Children under the Dental, Vision and Life Insurance Programs are changing for Yellow contract members. Under the new rules, you can continue to enroll your Dependent Children through the end of the month they turn 26, regardless of Marital Status.
If your child was previously dropped from coverage because they aged out based on the current eligibility rules, you can re-enroll them for coverage during the Open Enrollment period, as long as they meet the new age requirement.
Other Benefits
Effective January 1, 2024, the EAP will have a new administrator, Lyra. Anyone using the 5 sessions covered by EAP at the end of this year will have to find a new provider in Lyra’s network for any sessions in January 2024.
Effective January 1, 2024, Yellow contract members will also be eligible for Parental Paid Time Off (PPTO) (formerly known as the Paid Parental Leave). PPTO provides two (2) weeks of paid time off for the birth or adoption of a child on or after January 1st, 2024.
It is important that you review your current coverage and available options. Don’t assume that you will default to your current coverage if you make no changes. Your current plan may not be an available option! You can review your available options and Health Plan Comparison Charts online at att.com/benefitscenter.
Enrollment can be completed online (att.com/benefitscenter), by phone (1-877-722-0020) or from your mobile device.
Taking a moment to review your options and confirm your elections now can prevent unnecessary grief in the future.
Taking a moment to review your options and confirm your elections now can prevent unnecessary grief later.
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